This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Motor vehicles often include an exhaust gas temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of an exhaust gas stream emitted from the vehicle. The sensor often includes a temperature sensing element mounted at a distal end of an elongated shaft of the sensor. The elongated shaft supports the sensing element in the exhaust gas stream in order to sense the temperature thereof. The further the sensing element is positioned into the exhaust gas stream, generally the more accurate the temperature reading will be. It is thus advantageous to have a shaft with an extended length in order to position the sensing element as far into the exhaust gas stream as possible. However, shafts having an extended length are often subject to excessive vibrations transferred thereto from the engine. For example, a typical vehicle engine may vibrate at between 250 Hz and 400 Hz. An elongated sensor shaft of 80 millimeters having a uniform outer diameter of 3 millimeters will often begin to vibrate at about 393 Hz, and will thus experience excessive vibration during normal engine operation, which may lead to temperature readings of decreased accuracy and/or damage to the sensor. An exhaust gas temperature sensor having an elongated shaft for supporting a temperature sensing element in an exhaust gas stream that is not subject to extensive vibration during standard operation of a typical engine or motor would thus be desirable.